Jeremy

Ruckert

The touchdown came on the final offensive drive of the game when the Jets were down 30-3, so we wouldn’t overreact too much to this. That being said, Ruckert out-targeted Mason Taylor in Week 1 and only had one fewer target than Taylor in Week 2, so we’re not so sure Taylor is going to be useful in fantasy leagues this season.

He actually was out-targeted by Jeremy Ruckert (2/16) but neither Jets tight end looks likely to generate fantasy value unless the team trails for most of the game. The rookie could be interesting in a different game script, but doesn’t need to be rostered in shallow leagues.

Cimini believes Taylor “could relegate Jeremy Ruckert to a blocking role at tight end.” While we did not expect Ruckert to command a fantasy-relevant target share, potentially consolidating positional targets is a positive for Mason. He is unlikely to break into the TE1 tier as a rookie but the Jets’ receiving corps is terribly thin.

Is Stone Smartt going to be a thing? While the Jets could still do more to address their tight end room, last year’s leading pass-catcher at the position, Tyler Conklin, remains a free agent. Smartt came on late last season for the Chargers, catching 16 passes for 208 yards on 19 targets. The former college QB has spent the last three seasons honing his tight end skills. His brief flashes may be enough to earn him an increased role in 2025 if he can impress in camp. As it stands now he’d battle third-round disappointment Jeremy Ruckert for a starting role.

Conlin has now missed back-to-back practices with the calf issue. He’s been one of the few Jets who have had any sort of fantasy success the previous few weeks, but it appears that the 29-year-old is in danger of missing the finale against the Dolphins. That’d likely mean more snaps for Jeremy Ruckert.

Per SNY’s Connor Hughes, Conklin and his wife were expecting the birth of their first child as of Saturday evening. Conklin didn’t travel with the team but there was some hope that he could still make it to Jacksonville in time for Sunday’s game. That won’t happen and Jeremy Ruckert will draw the start. Fantasy managers weren’t starting Conklin this week and don’t need to worry about Ruckert either.

The Jets hold the tenth pick in the draft and could be in position to take Bowers and bolster a pass-catching group that has nothing outside Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. Bowers did not work out at the NFL Combine while recovering from ankle surgery; he plans to work out at Georgia’s pro day March 13. Bowers, who had 175 receptions for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns at Georgia, would be a boon for Aaron Rodgers and the New York offense in 2024. The Jets’ current tight ends are Jeremy Ruckert and Tyler Conklin.

Jets fans have clamored for months to get Ruckert on the field more in the struggling New York offense. An increase in Ruckert’s snaps would likely come at the expense of C.J. Uzomah, who seems to make weekly back-breaking mistakes as a pass catcher and a blocker. Ruckert, who has caught five of six targets for 43 yards this season, will probably be the team’s No. 2 tight end behind Tyler Conklin.

“He appeared to receive the most targets of anyone other than Garrett Wilson in team drills and it looks look the time the Jets gave him to develop in 2022 suited him well. He should play a bigger role this season,” writes Rosenblatt. Ruckert is behind Tyler Conklin and C.J. Uzomah on the depth chart and probably won’t get a big enough share of the pie to be a fantasy target this year, but he’s worth monitoring in deeper dynasty leagues.

A third-round rookie, Ruckert missed the offseason program and the first week of camp because of a foot injury. Now healthy, he will compete for a role behind C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin.